Opinion

The big and the powerful get their way

25 Oct 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Meanwhile, ‘divided but in togetherness’, local leaders continue to play
poker in the House and ordinary folk keep seeing Yahapalanaya as a mirage

he war against the LTTE ended several years ago when the armed forces of Sri Lanka crushed the Tigers that ran wild and free for almost thirty years. It was a great relief for all Sri Lankans because it signaled an era of peace, change and opportunities for the country to emerge from the dregs of the conflict. It was unfortunate that the post-war development programmes for the country’s betterment especially of mega kinds ran into thick banks of fog of various kinds created by a corrupt and crooked government. Their pea-soupers are yet to be cleared.

Friends of terrorists

A major LTTE tactic to secure a homeland for the Tamil people was wooing the support of western countries that had a penchant for ‘minority communities under real or imagined ‘duress’. The Tiger medium in that effort was the pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora that organized meetings and demonstrations in western cities to garner support for their terrorist masters, the so-called freedom fighters. They also squeezed out donations from other Tamils to support the ‘cause’. Such support kept flowing incessantly to batter the perceived oppressors of the Tamil people–the Sri Lanka government that was compelled to take on the LTTE militarily. And it was that war that finally precipitated allegations of ‘war crimes, war criminals and human rights violations’ allegations against the Rajapaksa government, its armed forces and the possibility of hearings in The Hague. (LTTE atrocities were conveniently overlooked by its western supporters.). Such aggression against Sri Lanka labeled as a rogue nation continued well after the war until recently when that pressure began to lift after a new government assumed power. While this ‘softened stand’ of the US, its allies and the UN was welcomed by the country, it was frowned upon by some sections of the Tamil minority that lost its impetus in achieving Eelam. Their cries of being ‘hounded, harassed and murdered in Sri Lanka’ ran out of gas, baritones and tenors. The rest of the Tamil people however, turned to favour the theme ‘we are all Sri Lankans’ mooted by a Yaha government.

When some faces turned red

“I say, Ooty,with the latest developments in the war crimes scene there’s a change in international poking into the so-called mis-behaviour of the state and the armed forces,” meowed Tommo a pussycat relaxing with his working partner an owl in the kitchen of the Wallside Restaurant and Bar. The pair employed as vermin exterminators in touch with matters that affected their governors were discussing recent events in New York on war crimes and war criminals in the Eelam war.

“Thuhoot,” responded the owl. “Who can forget the Tiger propaganda; their protests, video clips on Channel 4, 5 and 6 said to be of our governors’ soldiers shooting Tamils and reams of other cooked up stuff in the media. The pro-Tiger crowd was pinching western noses to look their way and nowhere else.”
“Meeooww, there was a time when some Un-united governors also supported the Tigers with blazing canons. Can you remember their heavy broadsides when the striped hoodlums penned in some corner were about to be written off the map?”

“Even well known ladies of Uncle Sam’s brood and ancient but vociferous actors and actresses in Tamil Nadu yelled that Lankan forces were slaughtering civilians, using them as human shields and blasting hospitals away,” hooted the owl.

"When you see the continuing waywardness in the country with even the new lokkas I think the international entry is a bloody good thing"

“They were desperate to save their pets all right. And, what about their Big Brother? He howled to have a cease fire and hold discussions; anything to protect their relations being sent to Satan’s care,” purred pussy.

“But, our governors in charge then didn’t listen, did they? They clobbered the terrorists and elevated their leader to godliness of some unknown kind,” giggled the bird.

“Purrshsh; but it had repercussions. The international community pissed off that the government didn’t listen to their commands and demands, continued their chase to hang charges of war crimes, infringements of human rights and genocide, whatever that could work, round our governors’ necks. But our governors with support from friendly countries kept that attack in check.”

“I know, I know; but now after a series of fits and starts, the internationals have introduced a hybrid menu into a ‘war crimes’ inquiry on local grounds. But first was that war a war or a struggle against some killers branded as terrorists the world over?” The bird’s question was a common one.

Unwanted hybridism

“Meeoowwyep (Yep). Your question would never be answered. Apart from the ISIS and other fundamentalists, the latest fad is democratic terrorism. That’s another story. Anyway, the Rajapaksa top-dogs–the alleged ‘culprits’ of war crimes are not the top-dogs anymore. A new regime that took over has lowered the intensity of the Rajapaksa chase has agreed to support a local inquiry under help and guidance of foreign coaches. One reason for this coaching camp is because a princely UN human rights man had said that our governors’ legal frame work was ‘not geared to handle war crimes and war criminals’ or some such thing. The intro of foreign umpires into a local inquiry is clearly to call the shots. ”

“When you see the continuing legal waywardness in the country with even the new lokkas looking the other way until kick started by some public hue and cry, I think the international entry is a bloody good thing,” hooted Ooty.

"Yaha fire is spluttering and may burn out altogether . The people who had high hopes of a better deal are seeing Yahapalanya as a mirage they have been fooled with"

“Meeoowwyep (yep). The international club has wangled itself into that position for good reason. But, I think their main aim is to gun down Rajapaksa ‘baddies’ most of whom are in troubled waters already. But surprise, surprise, some of those bad-boys are seen blooming in the Cabinet of the new regime. So there’s a worrying factor in the air. Despite the unearthed history of robbery and villainy, a huge number of Rajapaksa fans yet in government positions are poking sticks into Yaha wheels. If Rajapaksa and his palanquin bearers return, it would be the end of war crime inquiries, hybrid or otherwise and curtains for the multi-coloured Yaha crowd that wants the Rajapaksa Corps sent down to Davy Jones’ locker without safety jackets.”
“That’s a tough expectation isn’t it?”

Maestros and a mirage

“What you see is the unfolding of a drama featuring a Yaha and International combo taking out the strongmen. Then the internationals would regain a position they were losing fast to worrying competition and the new regime would have a clear runway for its Yaha programme. Recent history has proved that the two Yaha chiefs are political maestros, but theirs is a marriage of convenience. It’s not registered or solemnized but a result of a specially brokered arrangement with pre-conditions like in pre-nuptials,” Tommo laughed the way pussies do.

“Hoot! So what?”

“Meeoowww, marriages of convenience as the name suggests are for convenience. So there’s no room for permanency in the Yaha marriage. In fact when considering the sparks of sourness in it, the question is for how long it would it stay afloat?”

"Marriages of convenience as the name suggests are for convenience. So there’s no room for permanency in the Yaha marriage"

“Hooot, boy, oh boy! The situ is getting thicker than a Hungarian goulash.”

“The internationals are no babes lost in the woods, chum. They know what they are doing. However a sad situation is developing for our governors who thought, ‘Thank God we are finally getting a Yahapalanaya under a convenient blue-green marriage’ not so long ago, are now wondering what the devil is going on. The new regime that promised a total turnaround is being found of being as guilty of bad governance as the former crowd. ‘And pray, of what kind?’ ‘Of every kind the former crowd didn’t follow’. The truth is that the Yaha fire is spluttering and the way things are going it may not take long for it to burn out altogether and the people who had high hopes of a better deal under a blue-green regime are seeing Yahapalanya as a mirage they have been fooled with.”

Opinion

The big and the powerful get their way

Meanwhile, ‘divided but in togetherness’, local leaders continue to play
poker in the House and ordinary folk keep seeing Yahapalanaya as a mirage

Friends of terrorists

When some faces turned red

"When you see the continuing waywardness in the country with even the new lokkas I think the international entry is a bloody good thing"

Unwanted hybridism

"Yaha fire is spluttering and may burn out altogether . The people who had high hopes of a better deal are seeing Yahapalanya as a mirage they have been fooled with"

Maestros and a mirage

"Marriages of convenience as the name suggests are for convenience. So there’s no room for permanency in the Yaha marriage"

Most Popular Articles

How far does the political-underworld nexus extend in Sri Lanka?

Why Countries Are Banning Children from Social Media and What It Means for Sri Lanka

More arrests would lead to do-or-die elections

The narrowing window: Small-state agency in an age of multipolar scenario

Economic growth is not the only measure of human development

Detention Rights: Sri Lanka and the United States

Latest News

Jumbo attack on Wannila Aththo’s house...

Sri Lanka calls for Asia-Pacific support for blue carbon and climate action frameworks

12-hour water cut in Dehiwala, Moratuwa, Ratmalana and surrounding areas

Commander Chaminda Walakuluge returns to head Naval Media

Fire destroys 10 acres of Haputale forest reserve